This invention relates to substituted pyrimidines which are useful for the treatment of hypertension. They achieve this by antagonizing the effects of angiotensin II; the active component of the renin angiotensin system.
Angiotensinogen is converted to angiotensin I by the action of the enzyme renin. Angiotensis II (AII) is formed by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) acting on angiotensin I. AII is a powerful vasoconstrictor and is implicated as the cause of high blood pressure in a number of species including man. AII elicits these vasopressor responses by acting at specific receptor sites. The compounds described in this invention compete with AII for these receptor sites. Thus antagonizing the vasopressor effects of AII.